It is almost 90 degrees here as I write this. I hate sticky heat, makes me feel tired, sleepy and like I might have traveled back to So. Ill for a visit. But today is the day! I am going out to Central Massachusetts to try to find a porcupine I can use to teach my dogs to avoid these horrible creatures. When we were skijoring in Maine after the Bridgton Musher's Bowl we found the one in this series of images. Luckily, I could tell the dogs were scenting something and I was able to stop Tikko in time. He shivered and shook watching that thing with intention. I had no doubt he would have gone after it in a second if I let him. In my observations, Tessa follows closely but never close enough to get quilled. She's learned, but it doesn't help Tikko to have an excited quill-wise sister accompany him in the chase but not he pain. Running in Acadia we found a huge 25 lber. It was right in the middle of the trail. Tikko snagged it by the neck, shook twice and spit it out, minus ab...